StarKist Brings Back Suicidal Charlie the Tuna After 30-Year Ad Hiatus
After a nearly 30-year absence from TV, StarKist is bringing back ads featuring Charlie the Tuna.
In commercials between 1961 and the 1980s, Charlie appeared as a berert-and-shades wearing beatnik who has such good taste he wants to be caught and turned into a can of StarKist. It never happens because StarKist is looking for fish that tastes good, not fish with good taste. The punchline: “Sorry, Charlie!”
As Mediafreak points out, the ads are likely to again trigger living-room debates about advertising’s weird obsession with animal brand mascots that urge viewers to eat them. That, no doubt, is part of StarKist’s plan.
The Suicide Food blog, which tracks such things, gives this diagnosis:
Suicide Food actively participates in or celebrates its own demise. Suicide Food identifies with the oppressor. Suicide Food is a bellwether of our decadent society. Suicide Food says, “Hey! Come on! Eating meat is without any ethical ramifications! See, Mr. Greenjeans? The animals aren’t complaining! So what’s your problem?” Suicide Food is not funny.
Well, I’m not too sure about that last part.
Jim Edwards, a former managing editor of Adweek, has covered drug marketing at Brandweek for four years, and is a former Knight-Bagehot fellow at Columbia University's business and journalism schools. Follow him on Twitter or send him an email.
BNET User Analysis